Shadows In The Corner
by GravityIsOverated
Summary: With Kuvira defeated, and the Spirit Portals open, Republic City goes through a relative time of peace. But out there in that wild world, trouble is brewing. An ancient evil rises, eager for revenge for the deeds committed by a past Avatar. The only problem is that it isn't Korra it wants. It wants to hurt her in the worst way it can. It wants her friends.
1. Head Of The Demon

The candle's light flickered, the soft breeze wafted against its light but it refused to die. Zaheer looked at with a troubled sigh and closed his eyes, trying once more to meditate.

It troubled him. The flicker of the candle. No air could be conjured down here unless he was the one responsible. It was ironic, in a way. He had finally mastered the art of flying, the ability to free oneself from the tyranny of the Earth. To be unbound by the rules of gravity. And now here he was, wrapped in chains. He had said as much to Korra. It was his most vivid memory.

Because every night since her visit, he was unable to sleep.

It was tantalising, a torture of frustration. He knew something was wrong in the Spirit World. Ever since Korra had opened up the spirit portals, a wealth of new life, of new opportunity bloomed. But also new threats and new dangers had arisen.

Maybe this was paranoia. After all, the Avatar had been successful. Most of the spirits that dwelled in Republic City had returned. Even lately with his unusual failure to pass into the Spirit World he had felt it. Maybe this unsettling feeling was due to lack of rest. He rarely slept now, and when he did his mind was plagued by dark dreams. His imprisonment was an inconvenience, but he could never truly be chained. There was always this ethereal world he could escape into. There was always the tranquillity of his mind.

His forehead had started to sweat. With a loud sigh, he opened his eyes.

He nearly jumped when he saw someone staring back at him.

"Greetings, my friend," the figure said. He gestured to the tea set before him. Zaheer was puzzled. He only got three square meals a day. It had been a while since he had felt the relaxing steam of the hot beverage on his skin. He missed the feeling.

The stranger's voice was deep, with a little bite to it. Zaheer could only liken it to a snake.

The drawbridge hadn't been opened. No alarms had gone off. This person had gotten in without arousing any suspicion or triggered any alarm. The unsettling feeling in the bearded man's chest remained.

"Please, sit," the man implored, as he himself sat cross legged on the floor. His hair was dark brown, a contrast to his pale white skin. He wore a cloak of ceremony, with ancient symbols and tomes written into the fabric. The garment almost seemed unreal, like the thread had been made by a ghost.

Zaheer complied with the man's request. "Who are you?" His voice was distrusting.

"There was a time when no one had to ask that," the stranger replied sadly, but with a disturbing smile on his face. "But alas, time does change. Where are my manners? I go by many names, but back in the days of old I possessed only one. My name is Shin La. A pleasure to meet you."

Zaheer's blood ran cold.

At the change of expression, the man's smile deepened.

"So you have heard of me? I am flattered, truly. You are a well read man, Zaheer. I was wise to come to you."

"Why are you here?" Zaheer asked, a hint of anger in his tone. "More importantly, how?"

"There's no need for such fury," Shin replied, waving his finger as if he were lambasting a child. "Now that I am free, I like to travel. It just so happens that my path led me here. After all, thanks to the Avatar, anything is possible nowadays. You and your compatriots were captive for thirteen years. Vaatu was imprisoned for ten thousand of them. Nothing can be buried forever. You should know that better than most."

"You didn't answer my question." Zaheer didn't like where this was going.

"Oh, I think you know why I'm here." Shin La's smile was a paradox. There was no kindness in his gaze. His grin contained only malicious intent. "As to how, well, the thing about people these days? They are _afraid. _Every single day of their lives they spend living in fear, every single action they make because of it. And belief is one hell of a healer. I don't blame them really. They haven't had much cause to live in harmony lately."

"And you think you will be able to thrive on it? You don't stand a chance," Zaheer dismissed. "You are nothing but an old tale used to scare children off strangers. A cautionary story. You are nothing."

"I would not say that in my company," he growled, his voice a sinister whisper, transforming from the gentlemanly manner into the likeness of a monster. Suddenly with a flick of his hand every candle sputtered and died. The air became thinner. The room lined with frost and everything went dark.

"I am the shadow in every corner, no matter how light the room is. I am the dark thoughts that creep into your mind after a black day. I am hell in ethereal form. You would be wise not to temper with me, Zaheer. Considering what's about happen now."

"And what exactly is going to happen now?," The airbender rebuked him. "I am not some mindless civilian, ignorant of the ways of the spirits. You hold no power over me."

"Truly? I do not think that is the case. Let me tell you what is about to happen. I am going to cut open your shackles. I am going to give you one last measly attempt at life. And then, when I have defeated you, I am going to crawl down your throat and possess every muscle, every bone and every nerve in your body." He spoke with a calm, matter of fact demeanor, as if he were talking about the results of a pro-bending match. Like it was going to happen and that there was nothing Zaheer or he himself could do about it. "And then, when you have been subjugated indefinitely into my care, I am going to use that unique flying ability of yours and make my way to the Southern Water Tribe. There, I will kill the parents of Avatar Korra, Katara, the wife of Avatar Aang and anyone who attempts to stop me. Do you understand, Zaheer? Or do I have to explain myself again to you?"

Shin La made sure to let the words sink in. The backdrop of their conversation was disturbingly tranquil. The candles had been re-lit. The tea continued to boil. And the quiet, composed and collected look never left Shin La's face.

"Why me? Why choose me for something like this? And why do it at all? The Avatar has done nothing to you." It was strange, really. Up until a few years ago killing the Avatar had been his life's goal, or at least a part of it. Now he found himself protecting her, right after he'd aided her in healing. Strange indeed.

"Because as powerful as I have grown, regretfully I still cannot take full physical form," he spoke, with the first hint of emotion since his display of anger. "I can possess you. I can turn your mind inside out until you are a shell of the man you once were. But I cannot take a life in my form. I can in yours. Why you? You are already an enemy of this world. No one will weep for you, and no one will listen to you. Your whole plan backfired. Instead of destroying the Avatar you made her more powerful than ever. And in doing so, you lost the love of your life."

"Don't," Zaheer growled as he lunged forward, t he sudden tornado of wind erupting from beneath him as he launched himself towards the spirit. His chains barely held him back. _"Don't you dare._"

"A touchy subject, I see," he replied. His voice almost seemed to pity him. "Anyway, to answer your last question, you are right. Avatar Korra has done nothing to me. Avatar Aang has done nothing to me. Nor has Roku, Kyoshi, Kuruk or Yangchen or any of them, apart from the one that trapped me in the first place. But you see, some spirits don't want the portals open, Some spirits are _angry. _And she is the one responsible."

"That's not a proper answer," Zaheer furiously retorted. This anger was unlike him. "I am no fool. You aren't angry because the portals are open. In fact, she is the only reason you are free!"

"Correct," he said. "She is the reason I am free. But there is a reason I was locked away for so long. And considering that Avatar Noah took, I don't know, maybe two thousand years of my existence away from me? I think I'd like to see her suffer. But, her time has not yet come. Your trial is at hand. And unlike those inadequate juries and officials that you people love to have, I will be much less forgiving."

Shin La barely had time to move before Zaheer took to the air as the shackles came off. Even in the limited space he was elegant, on point and focused. He made no sound as he walked through the air. Only the power of his airbending made a noise.

Zaheer surged at his opponent, even as sleep addled as he was. While his forms were as agile as ever, the years of the cramped space and the fact that he barely moved each day had taken its toll. He wasn't in the best of shape and he knew it. It didn't stop him from blasting a column of air straight at the spirit.

Shin La merely laughed in response. His body split in two as he took the shot head on, the black organs of his phantom body being momentarily displayed before he knitted himself back together in a flash. Seeing this Zaheer launched himself into the ghost, hoping to incapacitate him. He merely passed through the spirit before he checked himself to avoid smashing head long into the wall.

"Good! Show me what you can do!" Shin cackled, his white smile even more disturbing in the darkness now that the candles were blown out for good.

Zaheer sent wave after wave at his opponent but La merely sidestepped each hit with the speed of a sprinter. Any longer and he would catch up with him and then... Zaheer didn't want to think about that.

He knew this spirit. The Stalker of Dreams. The Father of Nightmares and the Destruction of the Mind. The unholy link between insanity, nightmares and death. His weakness was light. In _any _form.

The candles!

By some miracle the flames in the fair side of the room still flickered with life. Breathing in, Zaheer concentrated. He imagined little balls of oxygen covering the tiny little flames, protecting them from the gust of the wind but still allowing room to burn. He imagined a fiery tornado erupting in the small, underground chamber. And he imagined them all flying towards the evil phantom at once.

Shin La's delirious laugh turned to a scream as he was engulfed in fire. Zaheer pulled back, catching his breath and letting the flames do their work. He wasn't a hero. Not by a long shot. But he reckoned to himself that it wasn't a bad job.

But then, in that shadow in the corner, darkness erupted from within the phantom's cloak, sucking in the flames. And Shin La looked at him, a sinister smile on his lips.

"For that futile piece of resistance," he snarled. "I'll make this hurt!"

Once more Zaheer tried to fight him, but this time the spirit was having none of it. And as the airbender sent another blast of wind at him, he used it's momentum and launched himself right back at him, until Zaheer had fallen on the ground and Shin La stood before him.

"I am more powerful than ever before," he smiled. "And not even fire can harm me. Only the sun will burn me, and here we are, below the ground. I hope you find peace after I take your body and defile it."

And in a single motion, black tendrils sprung from Shin La's back and wrenched themselves into Zaheer, pinning him down. His mind whirred as he tried to fight it, blasts of air going everywhere but his intended target.

"You should be honoured, Zaheer. It has been so, so long since I took physical form," he smiled. "The first of many to come. Now, open wide."

And the spirit revealed it's true form as it shoved itself down the airbender's throat. Zaheer could feel the unnatural sensation as he fought for control. His limbs no longer thrashed. His mind was becoming foggy as he felt the spirit crawl into his body, scurrying into his brain. And then all he saw was black.

Shin La rose unsteadily as he adjusted to his new form. The White Lotus guards outside were long dead, but there was a small chance their bodies could have been found. It was night time when he had first arrived weeks ago. What would happen when he faced the tyranny of the sun?

The doors to his prison unlocked as he made his way up. He could feel the breeze outside on his borrowed skin. The feeling was foreign to him, but not entirely unpleasant.

Finally, he reached the exit as he was greeted to the morning sun, rising over the hills in the distance. The mortals found it stunning, beautiful. He found it disgusting. Experimentally, he put out a hand right in the paths of its rays, ready to pull it back at any time to alleviate the burning.

There was none. Shin La looked at his hand in triumph as he walked out into the open, unharmed by the light. There was once a time where he could only survive at night. No more. He was free to roam where he desired. And he knew just where to start.

The Avatar was beyond his reach. She couldn't be killed, not by him, not in this life. But she could be broken. Her family's death would be the key to that. Using his new gained power of flight, he flew into the air. Unbound. Free.

He headed for the Southern Water Tribe.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So, this would be my second Legend of Korra story. I got the idea for this after watching the finale, The Thing and after reading the Skulduggery Pleasant books. Kind of hesitant to put this up, but we'll give it a try. As for the relationships, I haven't really decided. I don't now think Korrasami is canon. I think it was done in a way that if you really want it to be official it's official, but if you don't it's simply just two female friends. Either way, whichever pairing I do choose will be decided as I write more of this (By the way, all other pairings of the show will be left intact, particularly Bolin and Opal and Varrick and Zhu Li. Because come on, who in their right mind would split them up?). Both Makorra and Korrasami is possible, and to be honest since I'm not too psyched for either whichever one makes more sense to the story will be the one I opt for. What I can promise however are moments for all of them. My biggest gripe about Book 4 was that Team Avatar were mostly apart for all of it, so I'll try to keep them all together. Maybe even with an appearance of the old crew here and there.**

**Anyway, thanks for reading!**


	2. The Mind's Complexities

Mako shifted in his seat, trying to get comfortable as he listened to the radio. It was a slow, lazy day, the kind where you had nothing to do and no motivation to do anything but lay there. And it was driving Mako insane.

The first few days off duty had been okay. Bolin had moved back into the apartment, for the moment at least. Opal had been granted leave for a couple of months from the airbenders, as a reward for her contribution in the fight against Kuvira and also because the pair of them needed a chance to reconcile after a hectic few weeks. Mako had welcomed them with open arms, well, arm in his case. It was great to see Bolin so happy. It was the first real solid relationship he'd ever had, and from their current actions, it appeared like it might be the only one he'd ever need.

They were sprawled out on the couch, Opal's head just laying there contently on Bolin's shoulder while he had his arm around her waist. The screen in front of them, this new fangled thing that Varrick called a 'televiser', ( Televiser? Television? Mako had no clue) flickered as they watched the various images that popped up in front of them. It was a simple scene, yet it spoke volumes. He didn't think he'd ever seen his brother so content. And that filled him with happiness yet left a strange hollow feeling in his chest.

Because looking at them brought back memories. Memories of similar times, except it had been him sharing a peaceful moment with the one he loved. That line of thinking had been all too familiar for him in the last few days.

Now that he'd cleaned most of his apartment, caught up with Bolin and read the various books that he'd never bothered to read before he was bored. He was a person of action, and when left alone with just himself and his mind with nothing to do he tended to get lost within his thoughts. And they always led to the same person.

He'd thought he'd shaken it. He really had. He remembered a time when he couldn't imagine Korra not being an integral part of his life. Yet for three years that had been a reality. He learnt a lot about himself in that time. What he wanted to do with his life, the man he wanted to be. And without her, yes, it had been tough. The first few months he had been fraught with worry over her condition, both mental and physical. When she didn't reply to his letters it hurt him, like there was a small hole in his chest. But, slowly and steadily, he learnt to live without her. Learnt to pursue his own dreams, learnt to become his own person. Learnt to move on.

Or at least he thought he had. For as soon as she returned, she flipped his life upside down again.

Of course Wu had to get kidnapped. Of course they had to argue. And while yes, they had iron out some issues, the conflict excited him because it was so _familiar. _It felt normal to argue with Korra, felt normal for them to quarrel in the middle of a hostile situation. And when they made up, it felt normal to hold her close. It was like she'd never left.

It frightened him, that feeling of familiarity. The fact that she could just slot back into his life at such a quick pace scared the crap out of him. And so, he hid how he felt about her. Hid it from her, from Asami, hell, he hid it from himself. The thought that he could lose her again, that she could be as broken as she was after Zaheer? It terrified him. This way he could have her again, yet keep enough emotional distance to prevent himself from being too drawn in. Yet who was he kidding? She had him hook, line and sinker from the moment she came back. Yet the most ironic thing about it was that he was so scared of losing her that... he did.

When did Asami come along? When did they become so close? He knew they were best friends, but lovers? It never even occurred to him. Yet when he inquired as to where they were, Jinora spoke the truth. They were in the Spirit World. On a vacation. Alone. Without him or Bolin.

His train of thought was broken when he heard Bolin approach. "Hey, Mako. You look a bit out of it there."

"Just thinking is all," he replied, removing his gaze from the window and onto Bolin's inquiring face. "Where's Opal?"

"Just gone out for some milk," Bolin said. "Also, she kind of thinks you look a bit love sick. Now I know that I'm your brother and I'm supposed to catch these kind of things because I know you best so... I agree with her. You okay, Mako?"

For a second he debated on whether he should tell him or not. He didn't like to burden other people with his worries. "Yeah, I'm fine, I'm... no, I'm not fine actually. Just have a lot on my mind at the moment."

"About what?" He said as he put a supporting hand on his shoulder. "You know you can talk to me about anything, right? Hey, part of me is just glad you're here to talk to. You had me worried back there in that giant mecha thing. What's on your mind?"

Before he answered Mako looked out towards the window again, watching the city in the night. It was quiet and serene. "I think... I think I've messed up bro. With Korra, I mean."

"How so?" Bolin asked curiously.

"Have you noticed her and Asami? How... coupley they look? I mean, are they dating now or something? Because for some reason I can't shake the feeling that I... that I've lost her." His voice was quiet, and uncertain. For someone who was always so sure of himself, Bolin found it a bit startling that his brother sounded so... confused. Scared.

"Wait, Korra and Asami? We're talking about the same two girls right? I mean, yeah, the holding hands thing, that's a bit new. The only writing to her and leaving us out, that's a bummer. But no, I haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary. Why, do you think they're together?"

Mako swept his hand through his hair. "I don't know, maybe I'm overreacting. I mean girls just hold hands all the time don't they? Right, Bo? Right?"

"Um... I'm going to have to check with Opal on that one," Bolin said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "I don't know, they could be I suppose. Why are you asking? I mean, come on, you can't have been that bad of a boyfriend. Maybe that's why. What did you do to make them swear off boys?" Bolin laughed. He regretted it as soon as he saw the withering look Mako was giving him.

"Not. Helping."

"Sorry," Bolin said. "But seriously though, why does it bother you so much? Never pegged you for a conservative."

"I'm not!" Mako responded, eliciting another chuckle from Bolin. "Look, when I was zapping those spirit vines, I thought that was it. I thought this was how it ends for me. So in my last moments, my mind just went through all these faces. All this crackling light, explosions all around me, and all I could see were these faces. I saw you. Mum, Dad, Asami. And then finally, I saw Korra. And I was just so overcome with emotion that my last thought was... I didn't want to die," Mako mumbled quietly. "I didn't want to die because then I'd be leaving her. I'd never see her again. And that thought alone kills me more than any explosion ever could. What I'm trying to say is... ever since that day, I've felt empty without her. I haven't felt like this in a while. And I think I might be too late. I think she might've found someone else."

Mako finished his words, finally voicing his greatest fear. He looked up searchingly at his brother, hoping that he would somehow have the answer.

"Well, bro, if she has, then she has," Bolin shrugged helplessly. "You can't make her love you again. And if you truly love her, you'll be happy for her. But if she hasn't, then well, telling her can't do any harm can it? Either way, this is going to eat you up inside until you get a definitive answer. If she loves you the same way you love her, that's great. If she's moved on, then I imagine it's going to sting. But at least then you'll actually know. Because right now, you're operating on presumptions and maybes and let me tell you; it ain't pretty."

The earthbender let his words sink in, let his brother digest what he said. And when Mako turned back to him, there was a small smile on his face. "When did my brother get so smart?" he asked mockingly.

"It's in my genes bro. It's in my genes."

"Thanks, though," Mako laughed. "Well, I'd best get some rest. I'll talk to you tomorrow." And with that, Mako made his way to his bedroom. Before he made it though, he turned on the spot to ask his brother one last thing. "Oh, Bolin, is it okay if I say one more thing?"

"Go ahead."

"Keep your room's door and window closed this time tonight," he deadpanned. "Opal is even louder than Korra!"

"For that, I might just leave them open."

"Bolin!"

"Fine, fine. I'll close them."

"Thank you."

And with that, Mako left for bed. But he didn't get much sleep that night. It wasn't down to Bolin and Opal's night activities either. Nor was it the troublesome thoughts of Korra and Asami that kept him up at night. Rather, it was the dark taunting face that smiled at him every time he closed his eyes.

* * *

><p>Korra tried once again to stare at the food in front of her instead of the girl across from the campsite. Once again, she failed.<p>

The vacation had been an impulsive decision, but by no means a bad one. In the moment, just looking at Asami's pained expression... She knew she had to do something to lift her spirits. Thus the idea of a holiday bloomed within her mind. And it seemed to have worked. Asami's mood had definitely perked up. So did her own for that matter. As they made their way through the splendour of the Spirit World, she found herself having more fun than she had had in a long time. It was in those moments where she could let go and enjoy herself fully.

But in the quiet times, like right now, her mind wandered. And she didn't always like where it headed.

She kept replaying that moment in front of the portal. Asami was uncertain. She'd never seen the Spirit World before. And so, again on impulse, Korra took her hand. And it felt natural. Real and right. An affirmation of their friendship. A silent oath that they were doing this. _Together_. And as the golden background teleported them away into a wonderland she caught herself staring into her eyes.

Oh, those eyes. They stared right back at her. Gentle and kind. Thankful. And loving. Undoubtedly loving. It would have been so easy to kiss her.

But she didn't.

She kept asking herself why she hadn't. Asami certainly seemed like she would reciprocate. She loved her. There was nothing unclear about that. But in _that _way? And then there was the face that kept haunting her every time she replayed that moment.

He was the last person she'd ever kissed. Hell, he was the first person she'd ever kissed. Maybe she felt more strongly for Asami now but... Mako was her first _everything. _Her first kiss, her first boyfriend. Her first fumble in the dark.

The first person she truly loved.

That didn't just go away, however much she wished it to. Since her return, he hadn't shown too much affection towards her. Kindness and camaraderie, yes, but not affection in that kind of way. Not the way she thought Asami was giving her now. But that was the real problem, wasn't it? She thought, she didn't know. And it was driving her crazy.

It was ironic. All her life, she'd known what she wanted, but not who she was. She wanted to be a good Avatar. She wanted to play pro-bending. She wanted to walk again. She wanted to get better. And whether it was buried in the past or not, at one point she wanted Mako. But now, it was the other way round. She knew who she was now. Knew that she wasn't always needed, but when she was she'd be there. Knew that there was always more to learn. But what she wanted? She hadn't a clue. Did she truly want Asami in that way? Or did she still have that attraction to Mako, an attraction she thought was long buried? Was it one or the other? Was it neither or both?

The one thing she did know was that it was maddening.

But for now, she pushed her thoughts aside. Because ultimately, this trip wasn't for her confused feelings. It was for the woman currently sitting on the log across from her.

"How are you enjoying it so far?" she asked her, shaking herself out of her own reverie. "Has it been everything you expected?"

Asami's expression perked up immediately. "Oh, yes," she answered gratefully. "Even more so. I mean, after all the places that we've been to, all the things we've seen, you kind of get the sense that you've witnessed everything. But this..." she gestured to the bright purple sky above her, wonder sparkling in her eyes. "This is amazing. Just absolutely astounding. And we've only been here a few days! Like the possibilities, the things I've yet to see, here there just endless. Thank you so much for bringing me here, Korra," she smiled. "I needed this after... everything that happened."

And just like that, the spark in her eyes vanished and she became downcast once again.

She couldn't imagine how Asami felt right now, but if she felt horrible just looking at her pained expression, then the depths of despair Asami would feel must be miserable. It killed Korra to see her this way. Was this how everyone had looked at her after Zaheer had nearly killed her?

Asami's head slowly sank into her hands, and Korra did the only thing she could do. "Come here," she gestured, arms wide and welcoming.

She slipped into the Avatar's embrace without a word, allowing herself to be held as the tears came. She thought she'd wept enough for her father's death. Obviously she hadn't.

"I'm sorry," Asami mumbled, her voice unclear from muffled sobs. "I'm sorry."

"Shush," Korra soothed, as she wrapped her arms around her. "You have nothing to apologise for."

"I know," she replied, bringing her hands to her face to wipe the tears away. "It's just... I thought I was done with him. After that whole ordeal with Amon, I.. I hated him, Korra. I may as well have buried him. I never wanted to see him again."

Korra could do nothing but listen. Just be there for her. All this while she was stuck in her own swirling thoughts and she hadn't realised that this was an uncertain time for Asami as well. She probably had to juggle her own feelings while also grieving in the wake of Hiroshi's death. Why, she idly thought, did things have to be so complicated?

"But then... when you were gone, I received letters from him. For years, I ignored the fact that he existed. I had to build Future Industries from the ground up. I had to deal with the slander he brought on our reputation. Yet when I visited him, I felt... happy. Happy that he was remorseful. Happy that he was acting like a father again. And then with you back, everything fell into place. I learnt to forgive him," she cried out with a shuddering sob. "And now he's dead," she muttered quietly.

For once, Korra had no idea what to say. She was truly blessed. Her parents were alive and well. She was never truly alone because her family was always there. But Asami, Mako and Bolin... they never had that. They were all orphans now.

"I meant what I said," Asami finished quietly. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you too. You're the best friend I've ever had. I'm glad you're here."

Korra turned her head to look at her. Once again she met those sparkling, shining eyes. It would be so simple, yet so earth-shatteringly complicated, if she just leant in...

"Korra!"

A loud shout disrupted both of the women's fascination with each other and they scrambled away from their potentially intimate moment. "Jinora!" Korra shouted back as she saw the blue spectral form of the airbender. Whether she was relieved or angry at her interference, she honestly couldn't say. "What is it?" Her voice had raised an octave. "Is something wrong with Tenzin?"

"No," she answered, but not with any enthusiasm. "My dad's fine. But you have to get out of the Spirit World right now. Your family needs you."

"My family?" Korra shared a confused look with Asami before turning back to the teenager. "What do you mean? What's happened?"

"I don't know how to say this, Korra. Zaheer is back. He's attacked them."

When she heard those words, then, for a split second, Korra knew what it felt like to lose her parents. And her world just about imploded.

* * *

><p>Being the father of the Avatar was a hard job. Not that she needed protection no, she was well capable of looking after herself. But the worrying, that never left, no matter how strong she became. But as he heard of her latest exploits, he could once again bask in pride of his daughter's accomplishments. He wasn't worried about her vacation. She could handle herself.<p>

He looked out into the starry night sky, the moon was full as he rounded the corner to his home. In the years since becoming chief his comrades had offered to build a magnificent palace for him and his family to live in but he had modestly refused, citing that such an effort would be much more beneficial for strengthening the tribe as a whole. Not just its chief. He preferred his normal home anyway.

Strange. The door was open. The general rule of the Water Tribe was that you always kept the door closed, to keep the heat in and the various predators out. A flicker of light peeked through the opening. Carefully, he pushed the door and entered his home.

"Tonraq. What a pleasure it is to see you," Shin La smirked behind the guise of Zaheer, as Tonraq's expression changed from suspicious to shocked to rage within a second. "It's been too long since I visited the Southern Water Tribe. I have to admit, I can see why Unalaq complained so much. The lack of spirituality within your people is... astounding." Zaheer's voice was deeper than Tonraq remembered it. But the evil smile on his face was something he would never forget.

With a roar Tonraq summoned a wave of water at the airbender, the moon lending him strength. The torrents of water slammed into Zaheer, smashing him against the wall before it froze, pinning him in icy cascade. "What the hell are you doing here, you bastard?" Tonraq hissed. "Korra isn't here. You've had a wasted trip."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that." In an instant, the ice around Zaheer shattered as he emerged from his frozen prison. Black veins protruded through his skin, lighting up with power as he floated. The waterbender opposite him sent forth another frosty wave but this time Shin La was not static as it approached him. He flew out of the way, ducking and dodging throughout the rooms of Tonraq's home.

"What I would say," he said before another blast came at him. "Would be to worry about your wife," he shouted before repelling the waterbender's torrent. The ice broke into a million different shards as Tonraq was propelled into the air. Those shards came to life as he twisted in the air and sent a million different sharp ice daggers right at Zaheer.

He had barely enough time to slow them down when his wife was shoved in front of the anarchistic airbender. "Such a pretty little thing," Shin mused, his borrowed hand erecting a small tornado where she floated. "I have left enough life in her for one last exchange. After all, it is not every day that the announcement of a pregnancy is made."

At his words all the fury in the chief multiplied. This man had nearly killed his daughter. Now he threatened his wife. But his last sentence sucker punched him, left him at a loss for words. Senna was... pregnant?

"Tonraq!" Her voice was urgent, yet she sounded so breathless, like she could barely speak. She floated in mid-air, held afloat almost effortlessly by Zaheer. A small air bubble encased her head. His mind flashed back to the moment that Korra had been the one helplessly hovering. Zaheer had not been merciful then. Only the combined efforts of all the airbenders working together had stopped him. Now, it was just him, alone against this evil.

"I have a gift for these kind of things," Shin shrugged. His hands were clasped behind his back as he walked around the waterbender, surveying the broken furniture and cutlery. He shook his head, like it was a shame that such tools had to be broken in their fight. "I would say the Avatar is going to have a sister. But she isn't. In another life perhaps. Now, both of you, make your peace. I dislike an ending without resolution."

"Let her go," Tonraq said furiously. "She's done nothing to you. Take me, okay? We've fought before, you hate our guts, and I get that, all right! But don't punish her for something that was always out of our control. Take me. Kill me. But please, let my wife go. Let my unborn child go. Even you can't be that heartless. Please."

"What could have been, Tonraq. What could have been. Say your last words. While you still have the life within you to say them."

Tonraq looked around helplessly. There had to be some way he could turn the tide, some way he could-

A hurricane collided into his back and sent him crashing to the ground, before picking him up and enveloping him in funnel cloud. There was a loud thunk as Senna gazed upon her husband. He must have hit his head, because he lay boneless in the small little tornado, powerless to stop the air being ripped from his lungs.

"He took too long, I'm afraid," Shin La tutted, before he looked right into the terrified eyes of the Avatar's mother. "But do not despair, Senna of the Water Tribe. I'm sure he loved you very much. I'm sure you would have raised a wonderful daughter together. There is nothing personal in this deed. But unfortunately, your husband was right," he sighed, before he picked the pair of them and dangled them within his reach, his eyes turning black and his voice becoming a monstrous growl.

"_ZAHEER WOULD NOT DO THIS. ZAHEER WAS NOT HEARTLESS. BUT I AM!"_

His hands started to squeeze, black veins becoming prominent as the last vestiges of air was clawed out of their lungs. They dangled before him, suffocating as he denied them the right to breathe.

And then suddenly, she could breathe again. She fell to the floor as she looked up, dazed and confused. She couldn't be sure of what she was seeing but... could it be? Was that who she thought it was?

Shin La emerged from the mountain of snow that had been launched at him as Katara assumed a bending stance. "Go to Tonraq!" she urged as she faced the monster. "Make sure our chief is safe!"

Senna did as she was told, making sure her husband was all right. He was unconscious but he was breathing.

If Katara didn't stop Zaheer she didn't know if that would remain the case.

"Master Katara," he said mockingly. "The Waterbending Master to the Avatar. Wife of the Avatar. I was going to find you once this business was done. No matter. I am glad to see that my prey prefers to submit then pointlessly tries to hide."

"I have never backed down before in my entire life," Katara replied. There was no anger in her tone. She barely seemed moved by the fact that he had just attempted to kill a man, a woman and an unborn infant. She only seemed focused on the battle. "Look into my eyes, Zaheer. These are old eyes. I have seen things that you could only imagine. You don't stand a chance."

'Zaheer' merely chuckled at her defiance. "Do not speak to me of old age, Katara. You are but a measly drop in the well of eternity compared to me." He spoke like he was speaking to a child. "And yet while I am strong and able, you have withered into something weak and frail. Old woman, you have lived a good life. But now, I am going to kill you. I am going to kill the chief, the chief's wife and their unborn daughter. And then I will travel to wherever the Avatar may be and kill everyone that she ever loved. And there is nothing you can do to stop it."

"You asked for it."

And right as Shin La began to rush, he suddenly halted. Everything became... strained. This power, it was unnatural. He floated in the air, propelled by some mystery force. He couldn't move. He could barely think. His limbs bent as he fought this phenomenon.

"What black magic is this?" he growled, as his opponent slowly held him in place. "Answer me, witch!"

"I'd thought you'd heard about it, Zaheer," Katara smirked. "There's a reason why you never attack a waterbender when there's a full moon."

For the briefest of moments, Shin La panicked. He had lost control, the force being exerted on him crushing his will. He couldn't move his limbs, could barely even force a finger to react. For a fleeting time, Shin La thought that this must be how his victims felt, as he pulled their nerves like strings, commanded their bones to walk, travelled through their blood like...

_Blood?_

The spirit concentrated on the swish and flicker of Zaheer's veins. They were moving, but not in the correct way, like they were being ordered by some unseen force. Like they were moving on someone else's accord.

_Blood._

"Nice trick, old woman," Shin La snarled. "Now, I shall show you mine."

Black veins protruded through the skin of his arms, like they were bursting to escape the body. The light behind his eyes left him, replaced only by darkness. And somehow, Zaheer took one step forward.

"_FOOLISH. DEATH COMES FOR YOU NOW."_

Another step.

"_IT IS POINTLESS TO RESIST."_

Katara summoned her will, but she could not force him back more than she was already doing. Somehow, he was resisting her control.

"_I AM GOING TO KILL YOU. I AM GOING TO TEAR YOU INTO A MILLION PIECES!"_

He was getting closer now. Slowly but steadily.

"_THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO. NOWHERE YOU CAN HIDE."_

Almost there...

"_THE WORLD WILL FEAR ME ONCE AGAIN. THEY WILL FEAR SHIN LA!"_

And then Zaheer dropped as the spear broke over his head and knocked him out cold.

Senna looked up from the bearded man on the floor before running to Katara as their saviour collapsed. "Well..." Katara heaved. "Haven't done that in a while. Oh Spirits, it shows."

And with that, she passed out in the arms of the pregnant woman's arms. And as the warriors of tribe arrived, asking what had happened, Senna had to ask herself the same questions. What the hell had just happened? Why did Zaheer come after them? And since when did his pupils expand to reveal dark veins and the voice of a monster?

Somehow she didn't think she'd get the answers immediately.

* * *

><p><strong>And the story is officially underway.<strong>

**I want to say thank you so much for the support guys. I mean god, I don't know what I expected, but I certainly didn't expect the amount of people favouriting and following and reviewing. I'm glad people are enjoying it.**

**And yeah, Bryke have come out now saying the ending is canon. So is 'Korrasami' official now? Yes, it is. Is it going to affect this story? Not really. The creators have said it's canon, so it's canon. Is this story canon? No it is not. Besides, that never stopped the Zutara shippers. At the end of the day you ship what you want to ship. Simple as that. For Korrasami fans, they can be happy it's the real deal. For Makorra fans, they can look up fanfics, fanart etc. It doesn't change much.**

**Although the Tumblr response is undoubtedly hilarious. Especially the person who put up the Fred scene from I Am Legend as their response. Genius.**

**Anyway, thanks for reading!**


	3. Quid Pro Quo

Mako thought he would never forget Zaheer's face. The cold calculated look he always used to wear, the stoic glare that revealed the inner workings of his mind going a mile a minute. But when he stared at him now, he couldn't have looked any different.

It had nothing to do with the beard he now sported, nor with his cool demeanour. But the way he slowly tilted his head forwards at his visitors was a change yet it felt oddly familiar. A small smile graced his lips as he recognised his would be interrogators as Mako took a seat opposite the airbender.

The Chief had accompanied him, yet the criminal barely acknowledged her as she took a seat beside the young detective. He just continued to stare unnervingly at the young man in his sight. Mako glanced at the woman alongside him. They weren't expecting him to be so silent.

After a few seconds of this, Lin decided to take action. "We want answers, Zaheer. You're going to give them to us. Understood?" She leant forward to emphasise her point.

The subject of her ire barely broke eye contact with the firebender to look at her. Even with just the flicker of his gaze he managed to mock her. A small chuckle could be heard from the back of his throat. It was the first sound he'd made since they had entered. He stared at her before he resumed his vigil towards Mako.

Lin lost her patience. "Understood?" she said as she came off her seat to stare him right in the eye, giving him something else to look at.

"The good cop, bad cop charade. That method is still in use? It is old. Archaic. Like me. And like you, Chief. In reality, it matters not what you practise. You will get no answers from me, old woman," Zaheer said softly. Even as he spoke he never broke eye contact with the young detective, calmly gazing into his amber eyes. It made Mako's skin crawl. "Mako, my boy. Where did you pick up that awful injury? You should be more careful. Fighting Kuvira, no doubt. Then again, it's not as bad as what I did to you, is it?"

Mako gathered himself before responding. An interrogation was all about control. Make the accused think he was powerless and he'd talk. Show any signs of weakness and you give the prisoner ammunition against you. Especially the ones that would try to manipulate you.

"This doesn't have to get any worse," Mako chided, starting his role in proceedings. "All you need to do is tell us why you did it." The Chief and himself had talked about it beforehand. She would try to rough him up, get out of the seat and appear threatening, while he would calmly stay seated, take note of what he said and offer a more positive solution. That plan, in essence, usually worked.

They should have known Zaheer would flip the script.

"You know why I did it, Mako. You're a smart young lad. No, I think the real question should be this. Why are you asking me these things? Why drag me and the poor shaken family all the way into the heart of the world? Actions such as these can have... negative consequences."

"Because the nature of your crime, along with your past deeds, warrants the death penalty," Lin stated bluntly. "That is why you've been dragged here. We want to know if you're crazy or just a murderer. If you are deemed insane, then you will be transferred to psychiatric asylum. If you are deemed sane, you will be put to death."

Most people would start at that, be taken aback by the very real possibility of death. It was a penalty that was very rarely used, and for good reason. But Zaheer barely flinched.

"An extreme measure. A desperate measure. You will kill me, in the hope that I will remain dead. So that you might be safe. From now on, no one is safe from me."

Mako and Lin glanced at each other. This interrogation was meant to just be a formality, a part of the process. The new doctors of the mind that called themselves 'psychiatrists' would really look into his mind and decipher whether he was crazy or not. But the way he spoke now... it was as if none of it mattered. Either he didn't care or he was hiding something.

"We have questions," Mako said, waving his pen. "You co-operate, this goes by pretty quickly."

"Anything for you, my dear lad. After all we are like old friends now aren't we? Although the last time we were in this position, well, I wasn't holding a pen, was I Mako?" Zaheer said. The grin never left his lips.

His words were poison, bringing back painful memories, igniting the venom in the scars. "They say the pen is mightier than the sword. I beg to differ," Zaheer added, and this time he laughed, head rolled back as it billowed off his lips.

Lin looked back at him in confusion. Mako had only been roughed up by Zaheer, but still he'd never told anyone. It seemed that Zaheer had an active memory.

"Well, in that case," Lin interjected. "Why did you-"

"I said I would talk to the boy," the airbender deadpanned, all mirth disappearing from his expression in the blink of an eye. "I said nothing of the sort to you, Chief. Why don't you go outside for a bit? Take a break, if you will. Mako and I can have a little chat."

Zaheer's voice sounded deeper than usual. One of the many things that had seemed to change.

Lin glanced at him, and even through her stern view Mako could see the uneasy look in her eyes. This wasn't part of the plan.

"It's okay," Mako replied, waving her off. "I've got this."

"It's okay, Chief," Zaheer echoed, the beaming visage back on his face. "He's got this."

It took one more concerned glance, and one more positive nod from the young detective, but Lin stood up to leave. Against her better judgement, she left the young man inside the room with the anarchistic airbender.

No sooner had the door closed had Zaheer said: "Now, my boy. Let us begin."

* * *

><p>Korra had forgotten what it felt like to hug her mother without dark thoughts swirling in her head. But for now, she was glad to have that luxury.<p>

Herself and Asami had gotten out of the Spirit World as quick as they could as soon as Jinora had told them of the news. The journey back had been agonising. She had felt a quick stab of guilt as it disrupted their holiday, but any thoughts of that nature were overwhelmed by the crushing worry in her chest. They had to stop for rest for at least one night. Asami later told her that she'd tossed and turned all night, murmuring words that couldn't be made out.

Tenzin had been kind enough to let them stay with him while they waited for the boat to arrive. It had been agonising at first, but thanks to Jinora the news that they were okay eased her concern. It did nothing to quell the nightmares though.

But she was here now, and so were they. It only struck her now how much she'd missed them, expecially considering that she hadn't seen them in a while.

"I'm so glad you're okay," she muttered into her mother's hair as she clutched her tightly. "When Jinora told me what happened I thought, well, I thought..." she trailed off, before grasping her in a tighter grip. "I thought the worst."

"We're here now," Senna reassured her. "That's all that matters."

Tonraq joined the two woman in the hug, his big overbearing presence shadowing them both. It could not hide the bandages and stitching on the back of his head though.

And all of a sudden Korra felt more furious than she had in a long time.

"Where is he?" Whereas before she would rage and her voice would rise, now it lowered to an ice cold degree. "I'm going to talk to him."

"Korra, no," Tonraq interjected, as his daughter made to leave. "The police have him now. It would be better if-"

"Better if what?" The Avatar interrupted, arms spread out to emphasise her point. "He almost killed you once. And then he nearly killed me. And now, he's back and he immediately targets my family. What did you think I would do? He's obsessed with me, Dad. He's never going to stop."

"Perhaps it would be best if you let the police do their job," Tenzin said, coming out of house to greet them, Pema and the family in tow. "At least for the moment. We've talked about this before, Korra. You have to be patient."

Korra looked around at the ensemble before her. Everyone around seemed to disagree with her. It brought back memories of when she was younger, more naive. But she wasn't the same girl she was back then. "Fine," Korra sighed, and she had the feeling the rest of them were glad she decided not to fight it. "But I am going down to the police station. Just because I don't have to talk to him doesn't mean I'm not going to glare at the son of a bitch."

"Fair enough," Tenzin said, knowing that would be the best offer they'd get. "Also, I think your parents have something to tell you first, before you go rushing off. They sent news of it beforehand."

Korra turned to her parents in confusion. "Is something wrong? Did Zaheer do something else?" Again her voice rose in panic.

"No, no, nothing like that," Senna said, and for the first time a sunny smile was on her face. "Very, very good news, actually."

"Well, what is it?"

"I'm pregnant, Korra. You're going to be a sister."

* * *

><p>After the announcement, after the congratulations, Korra had rushed off. Asami didn't blame her. At some point it must have occurred to Korra that Zaheer had not only attempted to murder her family, but also an unborn child. Knowing that her family wouldn't approve, she left before they could notice.<p>

And as for herself? She'd tried to integrate with everyone. She had welcomed the news obviously. Korra's head was swimming with emotion after she had been told she was going to have a sibling. Another life to nurture, another person to support her. And for some reason, that thought filled her with... dread? She honestly couldn't tell. Watching the two families laugh and play and eat together, it was just... too much. It brought back memories that threatened to crush her head and turn her brain to mush if she thought about them too much. They were overwhelming and she had to escape.

Even though there was no escape for her nowadays.

Was it naive of her to think that she'd be fine? She lost her mother long ago. And her father just had to go redeem himself before kicking the bucket too. Was it grief? Knowing that she, in essence, didn't have a family anymore? Or was it just this overbearing sadness that would take time to heal? Thinking about it gave her a headache.

She considered who she had in the world now. Korra had absolutely everyone. From her own family, to the airbenders, to Team Avatar, everyone supported her. Asami was not proud of the little pangs of jealousy as her mind wandered. Korra had everyone. She had no one.

It was hard to think that was not true. Mako and Bolin had each other. Bolin also had Opal. Even Lin Beifong had her sister, who in turn had a husband and a family. And that left her. The odd one out. Take away Korra and who did she have?

She supposed she could go to a grieving councellor, but she didn't fancy it. They would encourage her to let it go, let go of the gut wrenching anger and the lump of ever present pain in her chest. In reality they were the only things keeping her going. And the only person she could talk about these things to was heading out to confront an insane anarchist. Great.

She was caught in a cycle and she knew it. She would curse her friends subconsciously, envying their families and the support they always received. She would curse the fact that now Korra was seemingly everything to her now and that she couldn't live without her.

Then came the guilt. How could she do that, even if it was inside her own mind? They were the only people she had. Korra was her best friend, the best one she would and could ever have.

And then the anger. The fury that she should feel guilty. She had every right to feel this way. They weren't going through what she was going through. How could they understand?

And finally there was just pain. After her jealousy, her tears and her furious fits of rage had tired her she was just left with this overwhelming sensation of pain. She hid it well, hid it from almost everyone, but some days she just wanted to go to sleep and not wake up. The Spirit World had helped considerably. It was like a fantasy world where anything and everything was possible. Like a dream. But now she was back in reality and her world was a living nightmare.

She didn't know how to feel. She wanted to bury herself in work but she couldn't escape it. One night she had taken a good long look at the alcohol in her house. She took a long swig and then smashed it against the ground. She was determined to be stronger than that, even if she didn't feel like it.

And so, when everything else failed, and Korra wasn't there to give her shoulder to lean on, she just went out to the edge of the island and looked out to the sea. It was all she knew completely anymore.

Even though everyone was around her, and herself and Korra were closer than ever, she had never felt so alone.

* * *

><p>"So, how long have they been like that?" Korra asked urgently. Her presence had not been expected. Now, Lin wondered why that had been the case.<p>

She was in a bad enough mood after she had left the questioning. It was infuriating to look through the mirror at the convict instead of being there herself. And now, the Avatar was here to complicate matters further.

"They've only just started. And before you ask, no, it wasn't my idea to have Mako in there alone," Lin responded irritably. In truth, she was worried for him. She hadn't wanted to get him involved. She hadn't wanted any of them to get involved. Zaheer had hurt them enough already.

"I'm going in there," Korra decided. As she made her way to the door Lin just about stopped her, grabbing her hand as it was about to open it.

"No, Avatar, you can't," she said sternly. "I didn't want to put him in that situation, but he's in it now. Let him talk to Zaheer. He's the only one that he will talk to. Why do you think I'm out here?"

Korra paused to consider this. This was his area of expertise, but still...

"He told me that he'll be okay," Lin removed her hand from the Avatar's wrist, speaking more softly now. Well, her version of softer anyway. "He isn't in any danger. And he can handle himself."

The Avatar heeded her words this time, but she didn't budge from the mirror. It seemed that the questioning had another spectator now.

"Are you going to answer the question or not?" Mako asked. Despite Zaheer's claim he would talk he was getting nowhere. The former Red Lotus member was ever evasive.

Zaheer only smiled, like he had an audience to appeal to. "Have you ever heard of quid pro quo, Mako? Very simplistic little measure. You ask me something, I ask you. Care to play?"

"I'm not here to play games, Zaheer. You said you would talk."

"And I am talking my dear boy. Not about the things you seek, no. But I am fulfilling my end of the bargain."

A suspicion started to creep into Mako's mind. "You seem happy to be here," he noted.

"Why wouldn't I be? I've been taken to the throat of the world. The perfect place to make it retch. I can't complain can I?" he replied, his relaxed manner chilling Mako to the bone.

"You're acting as if you can leave whenever you want."

"I can."

"And how would you do that, pray tell?"

"You'll see. You will especially see."

"Did you want to get caught?"

"Quid pro quo, lad. Quid pro quo."

It was dangerous to agree to a prisoner's demands. It gave them power and encouraged them further. But he was getting nowhere at the moment. And he was confident he could play his little game and win. "Fine," he said. "Quid pro quo. Now tell me, did you want to get caught?"

"Excellent," Zaheer grinned. The smile looked artificial on his face, like his cheeks weren't used to the strain of the stretch. "As to your question, no. It wasn't part of the plan. But things could be worse. What happened to your parents?" he said, changing topics abruptly.

"I don't see how that has anything to do with this," Mako answered. He didn't like where this was going. The nature of the questioning gave Zaheer time to recover from a question and distract Mako with his own.

"It has everything to do with it. A young detective, looking to be around the age of... let's say 22? 23? When this was the other way around I found a lot of interesting things. A picture of your brother, a photograph of you and your lover. How is she by the way? Never mind. We'll get to that in a second. You don't belong in the police. Or maybe you do, the way you carry yourself. Suited to roam the streets because they are as natural as the air you breathe. All those nights of cold shuddering in the middle of the night, clutching your brother dearest in an effort to keep him warm. Working for the wrong people, committing atrocities that you wish you could forget, all in the hope that you could someday escape. What happened to your parents, Mako? Where were they all those years?"

Visibly all Mako allowed the man to see was his eyebrow twitching. Inside he was reeling like Zaheer had hit him. "Where did you get that information?" he asked, a hint of anger present in his tone.

"An estimate, Mako. But a good one. Answer the question."

He had to keep his composure. He couldn't crack under the airbender's gaze. He had to outwit him. "My parents were murdered right in front of me. I was eight. My brother was six. Ever since then, it's just been us two."

"It hasn't been though, has it? A certain water tribe girl interrupted your idyllic little fantasy didn't she?"

"Remember the rules of the game, Zaheer," Mako said, with no inclination of emotion. "How did you escape? And no expense spared, please. If you're going to hypothesise about me you can be damn sure I can do the same."

"Fair enough," Zaheer chuckled. "Let's see. Spirits are more than what you think they are. One such spirit helped me. No expense spared? My little friend took control of the first guard on the left. He killed the other one on the right. Once the drawbridge was down and the guard released, it turned out he had just killed his fiancé. Killed himself shortly after. Very messy, I must say. And the rest you know yourself. I was just about defeated by an elderly woman using a tactic I had never come across before." He spoke with such complacency that it nearly made Mako sick. Something so horrific was involved in his escape and he talked about it like it happened every day.

"I hope you enjoyed your little field trip," Mako said, venom in his voice. "You're never getting out again."

At this the room suddenly seemed to darken. "For too much of my lifespan I have been imprisoned," Zaheer snarled, barely contained rage behind his words. "I am never going back again."

Underneath his stoic visage, Mako smiled. It was the first sign of emotion Zaheer had emitted other than creepy contentment. He had to press on this.

"You are and you will Zaheer. You won't ever see the sun again."

At this Zaheer smiled, but not like his other grins. At this he smiled as if that was his one wish for the world. "You're right. You know, the last man who spoke to me like that... it didn't work out for him. I broke him. I destroyed him. _Defiled _him. You're walking a dangerous road."

"I'm in no danger from you."

"You're a confident young man Mako. I like that," he said, his voice becoming deeper as he licked his lips. "Another question. What is the nature of your relationship with the Avatar? You look like you've been worrying."

The young detective bristled at the question. His private life was not up for discussion. "She is my friend. You know this already. This is pointless. Now-"

"No, it isn't. Didn't your mother ever teach you not to lie? Hmm, I suppose not. Can't really do that when you're in a coffin. But no, I don't know this. I know you've been dreaming about her. Or maybe it's a nightmare. Either way, it interests me greatly. Because it is going to be a defining factor in the days to come."

"Days to come? What are you talking about?" Mako asked, before he clamped his mouth shut. He'd gotten distracted by Zaheer's ramblings and used up a question. The convict saw this too and jumped at the opportunity.

"Oh there are some dark days ahead, lad. Your saviour will be your doom. You know, I'd ask if being alone depresses you, if seeing your beloved in the arms of another stings, but I already know the answer to that. So I'll give you some advice instead."

On the outside Korra demanded that Mako be taken out of the room, that Zaheer was manipulating him, but Lin stopped her. Whether they liked it or not, they needed to hear what he was about to say next.

But Mako didn't know this. All he knew was that Zaheer somehow knew about his dreams. His feelings towards Asami and Korra. And that left him feeling he'd been punched in the stomach and winded. How could he know this? They were in the Spirit World! You'd have to be there to see-

_Wait..._

Something in his mind clicked right as Zaheer started talking.

"My advice is this; Run. Run as fast as you can," he said, and he started to laugh. "Run away from Republic City. Run away from it all because once I'm done with it everything you knew, everything you thought you knew will be unrecognisable. Run from your feelings. Run from your job. And especially, run from the Avatar. Because anyone who spends even a minute in her presence is in terrible danger. I hope you're listening well, Avatar," he said, as he suddenly turned his head to glare at the door.

On the outside both Lin and Korra were stunned. There was no way Zaheer could have seen her arrive.

On the inside Mako was almost swept over by a moment of panic. Korra was _here? _But he took deep breath and gathered himself. He needed to get his last question out.

"Know that I'm only giving you this warning because I know you will not heed it. You will stand in defiance, as you always do. And when your life has been shattered, when it all comes tumbling down on top of and the grief is so strong that you can't even breathe, I will be there to say I told you so."

He could imagine Lin in the other room. Any second now she would wade in to remove him and his chance would be ruined. He had to say it now.

"Thanks for the warning. If that takes up your question, then I'll ask my last one," Mako said as he waved his hand towards the door, signalling that he had one last thing to say. He looked him right in the eye as he said; "Who is Shin La? Katara said you mentioned that name."

Immediately Zaheer stiffened. "That is not a name to throw around lightly boy," he warned.

"Who is Shin La?"

"You don't-"

"Quit stalling," Mako's voice tensed. "Who is Shin La? Your spirit friend, a Red Lotus member? Who is Shin La?!"

"I will not-"

"Who is Shin La?!" Mako snarled, and his threadbare patience finally broke. There was fire in his eyes as he leapt up from his seat to slam his arms on the table. "Who is he?!"

Zaheer studied him, before quietly answering him. "He is going to be your destruction. He is an agent of the dark. He knows all. He sees all. You cannot hide from him, and he will always find you. He is the shadow in the corner, the darkness in the light. And the more time you spend in the Avatar's company, the more dangerous he becomes. He's in Republic City. Go, search for him. It won't be hard. He's coming for all of you."

With that, Zaheer sank back into his seat, satisfied. "Go, little detective. You'll meet him soon enough."

Mako left the room soon after. He needed a good night's sleep after that draining experience.

* * *

><p>Korra and Lin were waiting for him as soon as he closed the door. Lin didn't say much, other than that she'd have to find Zaheer an appropriate cell. Korra remained however.<p>

"Hey, you all right?" she asked, her voice full of concern. "He didn't pull any punches in there."

Mako rubbed his face in fatigue. "Yeah, I'm fine," he said. "Just tired really. Bastard had me pegged the moment I stepped one foot in the room. Used that to manipulate me too. But as I said, I'm fine. How's your family?"

"A little shaken up, nothing too major," she sighed, before a smile graced her face. "Mom is pregnant though. Guess I'm going to join the siblings club," she laughed. It was a wonderful thing to hear.

"Guess you are," he smiled back. "Congratulations on being a sister. Sorry that this dragged you and Asami back from... wherever you two were."

Both were determined not to be so awkward around each other. Both seemed to have a penchant for it though.

"Not your fault. How's the arm?" she gestured. The sling had been removed, but a thick cast still adorned his arm. It was visible even through the fabric.

"It's healing. You know, just have to take it one day at a time I suppose."

They lapsed into silence again, both unsure of what to say. Mako was about to bid her goodbye when she spoke first.

"Say, throughout this whole ordeal all of us have been spread out. Why don't you and Bolin come and have a drink? I'll invite Asami. It can be like old times," she grinned.

The old times were gone. Nothing would ever bring them back, his mind whispered. But outwards he graciously accepted. "Team Avatar, reunited," he said warmly. "Bolin will probably be free. Can invite Opal as well."

"Good," she said, before she made to leave. "Meet at the old place?"

"You know it."

"I'll see you there," she said, before she left the police station.

As he walked home, he knew the old times were indeed gone, and they would never be the same again. But when he talked with her, he could pretend they hadn't. And that brought him comfort, however fleeting it was.

* * *

><p>The cell was small, dank and smelled of shit. Although the police had good quarters for prisoners, they had made sure to throw him in the darkest hole they could find.<p>

A crucial, crucial mistake.

Zaheer rattled his nails against the bars, almost unwillingly. He'd served his purpose. Now all that was left was to die.

The guard eventually came over, looking annoyed by the disturbance. "What is it?" he asked irritably. He wasn't paid enough to deal with scum like this.

There was barely any word from him. The shadows concealed Zaheer's face, so that only his crumpled form was visible in the light. A small flickering fire lamp dangled above them, barely lighting up the cell.

The guard shrugged his shoulders. He made his way back to the table where he was reading his newspaper before the cell bars started rattling again. Even more frustrated, he stomped back over to the airbender. "What is it?" he yelled louder.

A slow murmur could barely be heard. It seemed like Zaheer was struggling to speak. "Well, speak up! Never stopped you before."

A slow rasp was all that could be heard. The guard leant in, only discerning a few words.

"Look... Out. Behind... You."

"What are you saying?" The guard asked, more puzzled than annoyed. "You aren't making any sense."

"Here, let me help." The guard almost jumped out of his skin as he whirled around to see the politely spoken, well dressed stranger behind him. "He said, look out," he told him politely, before his voice turned menacing. "_He's behind you!"_

And then black tendrils emerged from the strangers back and tore into the guards flesh. He barely had time to scream before Shin La unhinged the man's jaws like a snake. It was all the extra space he needed before he crawled down the man's throat.

Within seconds, the guard re-emerged next to Zaheer's cell. "What is it? Don't feel well, old man?" The light flickered again, this time to reveal the airbender's broken body. His skin had wrinkled. His beard grew wispy and his eyes dusty. It was like someone had sucked the life out of him.

Shin La supposed that someone had.

"It's all right, Zaheer," Shin La spoke kindly, before he reached through the bars and snapped the man's neck. "It's over for you now. You won't ever see what's in store for the rest of them."

And then Shin La nonchalantly walked out of the room, leaving the prisoner's body to be discovered in the morning. It was over for Zaheer now. But for Republic City, it was just the beginning.

After all, the night was young.

* * *

><p><strong>Hello there. Sorry that this took a while, but I have to admit that Christmas and Dragon Age: Inquisition took a lot of my time. But I'm back, and so is this. Thank you to everyone who has told me to keep this going, it seriously means a lot when I hear people actually like this. Thanks for reading :)<strong>


	4. Everything Burns

**Sorry about the delay. Variety of things kept me busy, but anyway, don't forget to read and review, and most of all, enjoy :)**

* * *

><p>A lot had changed in his time away. The night life didn't seem to affect the city. In the dark was where it truly came to life.<p>

Lanterns flickered in the streets. Stores, restaurants and bars swung their doors open, different lights and different radio stations vying for customer attention. In the seedy corners of the city lurked drug dealers and kingpins, their power shadows of what they once used to be. The level of prostitutes and homeless were down. The police force was stronger than ever.

Shin La hated it.

Night was supposed to be terrifying. Kids should be locked in their rooms, afraid of the monsters under their beds instead of frolicking outside with their friends. The streets were supposed to look grimy and stale, not smooth and clean. People were supposed to fear the dark, not thrive in it.

He would make them all see.

He moved like a ghost, shimmering and shifting in the alleyways as he followed his prey. He kept his distance but he never let him out of his sight. The young detective was on his way for a much needed drink with his friends. Perfect. He would need a new body before sunrise.

The guard hadn't lasted long. Sure, he could augment their abilities, but the skills had to be there to be increased. How on earth a non-bending police officer had risen up the chain of command to guard someone as notorious as Zaheer was beyond the demon. He must have been a hell of a detective or something.

That guard was currently lying in some tip outside the police station. They would find him in the morning, the murderer who broke the airbender's neck. He had served his purpose, his higher calling. Shin La would remember him, especially as the firebender he was stalking took a left turn and walked into the bar where he would undoubtedly be greeted by his brother, his friend and the Avatar.

Showtime.

* * *

><p>"And so then, Kesh had to do the walk of shame through like six carriages," Bolin laughed, taking a swig out of the beer bottle as he did so. "He didn't play poker again for a long time."<p>

The bar wasn't empty but it wasn't crowded either. The people either hadn't noticed the Avatar sitting with her friends in the small bar or they had and had decided to leave her to her own devices. Whatever the case, it was great for her and her friends to... well, act like themselves. Too many times was Mako caught up in a case or Asami in work. The world had seemed to change so quickly that they almost seemed to forget how young they actually were. For once, they could act like what they were; young adults having a good time.

Or at least they tried to. For no matter how much Bolin or Korra joked, there was always that underlying feeling of sadness just below the surface. Asami carried it with her, even though she had buried it pretty thoroughly for the night. It was always alarming when Mako participated more in conversation in a social gathering.

"Seriously?" Korra grinned. "He should have known better. Don't play poker with a woman."

"What are you talking about?" Mako snorted derisively at her comment. "We played once and you were terrible!"

"Yes, well on that occasion, I wasn't really focused on the cards," Korra quipped, referencing a memory that made Mako splutter into his drink. "Might have been that I wanted to lose."

"She's got you there bro," Bolin smiled devilishly. "Might try that with Opal though. You wouldn't mind that, would you?"

"If you move out and I can cauterise my eardrums, then yeah, I don't mind."

"You're no fun."

They continued to banter back and forth, trading witty quips and blows. Even Asami, who mostly just listened, found herself enjoying it. The experience felt... normal.

Maybe she could get past this, she thought.

"Yeah, we had some fun times on that train," Bolin sighed as she clued herself back into the conversation. "Before we found out she was a bloodthirsty, power-hungry psychopath anyway."

"I reserve the right to say I told you so," Mako deadpanned.

"Yeah, but this was when Wu was an idiot. Probably still is an idiot, if you think about it, a good hearted one, but still an idiot," Korra chimed in, trying to make sure the conversation didn't turn too melancholic. Even so, she couldn't help but notice Asami getting a faraway look in her eye.

Bolin must have noticed it too. "I don't want to bring the tone down here or anything," he stated, rubbing the back of his head as he chose his words carefully. "But Asami, how have you been doing lately?"

It was the burning question on both Mako's and Bolin's lips, and secretly the older brother was glad his sibling had asked. He would have had no clue how to ask her otherwise.

"Oh, you know, coping," she answered, doing her best not to sound too despondent. It hadn't escaped the brother's attention that she was the only one sipping water and not alcohol. "Gets hard some days. I'm about as good as can be expected."

Asami didn't miss the silent glance that Korra and Mako shared, as if he was asking the Avatar if she was really all right silently. It bothered for some reason. Their interaction was damn near telepathic.

That's how the night mostly went. Bantering back and forth to mask the awkward and unpleasantness. Asami tried to integrate herself into the conversations, she really did, but she couldn't help the forlorn feeling that always seemed to follow her around. Eventually it became too much. "I'd like to leave," she stated, interrupting something Bolin was saying. "If that's all right with all of you," she added hastily. "Maybe we could go for a walk or something?"

Their eyes shifted again, almost as if there was a silent meaning to them. "Yeah, sure," Bolin nodded. "Where would you like to go?"

Asami was about to respond when suddenly Mako cut in. "We should go to the park," he said, smile on his face. Asami may have imagined it, but for just a second, his amber eyes flickered to black. She stood up in shock.

She must have been loud, because it seemed that she had caught the attention of the entire bar. She felt a reassuring hand on her arm. "Are you okay?" Korra asked her, concern evident in her tone. She looked back to Mako again and, lo and behold, he held the same expression as Korra and Bolin. He was normal, orange eyed Mako. Nothing unusual about him.

"Yeah..." Asami trailed off, still uncomfortable with... whatever she saw. "Yeah, I'm fine. The park sounds like a great idea."

"Yeah, we can deface that giant Korra statue," Bolin grinned, earning a groan from the Avatar. "Or maybe we should update it? Wolf bangs are so last season, right Korra?"

* * *

><p>It was funny, at least to her. The nervy, anxious feeling had nestled itself into her gut as they walked. Mako was acting normal, but Asami was positive she had seen <em>something. <em>Call it instinct or call it a hunch, she was sure something sinister was lying underfoot. The group made their way to the park, and to an outsider they would look inconspicuous. Normal. A group of adolescents having a good time.

But she could tell something was wrong. And instead of filling her with dread, she was left feeling more alive than she had in weeks.

She kept a close vigil on him, so much so that Bolin even made a joke about it. She'd laughed it off but she wouldn't be left unfocused. She slipped the electric glove she always concealed in her pocket on under her coat. She had to be ready, for whatever was about to happen.

Mako had been the first to arrive. Korra and herself had appeared soon after, while Bolin was late as Opal had gotten sick. Something she ate, apparently. It looked like her tummy troubles could've been a blessing in disguise. How much time did Mako have to himself before they walked in, she wondered. She pondered why she was so positive he was about to do something. It was Mako, for spirits sake. What on Earth would he do?

"Hey, easy there," Bolin laughed as she nearly fell to the ground as she stumbled into the earthbender's back. "We're here. Bask in the mediocrity that is fine sculpturing!"

She looked at the Avatar with the face of stone. She'd seen the figure before many, many times. Times when she needed reassurance from her best friend, even if she wasn't really there. Apart from the letters, it was the closest thing she could get for three years.

All through their journey, she had kept an eye on the firebender. And even with her back turned, she kept her guard up. That forward thinking would save a life.

She didn't see it, but she knew the sound well. The flicker of a flame, the swish of the arm.

The crackle of lightning.

Asami grabbed the Avatar and dove to the side, face-planting into the ground to avoid the blast. The light arc of electricity barely missed the two girls as they fell to the floor.

Korra had been standing right in front of monument, and now it bore the brunt of the attack. For a bolt so close and powerful, it stood no chance.

The head of the statue lurched forward with an unenviable sound, the creaking invading their ears while a guttural laugh passed Mako's lips. It leaned forward with a crash, slamming into the pavement.

Korra returned the favour to Asami as she grabbed the girl and rolled out of the way, finding herself staring into the stone, lifeless eyes of the sculpture. She looked back to the neck, smoking from the impact of the lighting blast. She scrambled to her feet.

"A metaphor, you might say," Mako laughed, black eyes glaring at the trio before him. "_Everything burns."_

Fire lit in his palm but instead of lobbing it at his friends he forged a blaze across the grass, engulfing the trees in the park. The plant life quickly succumbed to his fiery wrath as the temperature rose and smoke started to billow from the leaves.

"I understand that tree over there may have had sentimental value," Mako continued in a deep voice not his own. "A reminder of times gone by. You will never have times like those again."

Korra was the first to leap into action. Up until now they had all been staring in shock. The black eyes, the grating way in which he spoke was completely unnatural. Like it wasn't Mako.

"Who are you?" she demanded, the fire reflected in her eyes as the park began to smoke. "What have you done with Mako?" Bolin and Asami took formation behind her, waiting for the right time to strike. After all, it was Mako. They didn't want to be forced to actually hurt him.

"Nothing that he didn't wish to do himself," the dark declarations rolling off his lips. The vocalisation was too rich, too deep. "I cannot begin to tell you how much your darling hated that statue," he chuckled, clasping his hands behind his back.

"I'm only saying it once. What have you done with Mako?" Korra said again, but this time her voice measured into a growl. Slowly they began to advance. Instead of backing off however their friend walked to meet them.

"You will know soon enough," he stated, before unleashing a fireball upon them.

Korra immediately leant to the side to dodge the hit, before coming back with an attack of her own. A gust of wind that would unroot three men struck him but only succeeded in forcing him back. Bolin and Asami circled behind the villain. The three friends surrounded their possessed one, looking for a non-violent solution.

Mako snarled, and the sound he made wasn't human. It was like the roar of a dragon, only twisted and mellowed, resonating deep from the chest. Hiking up his sleeve, he ripped the cast that currently held his injured arm in place. He winced, before the black veins bulged and he smiled.

"Much better," he stated, throwing the cast aside.

Bolin tried to trap his feet in rock but Mako broke free, leaping high into the air before slamming back down with a torrent of flame, using his legs to encircle the group. Asami rushed forward to get in close. The general rule about benders was that they liked to keep enemies at a distance. From her experience, rarely did they know how to fight hand to hand apart from their traditional forms.

But the way Mako moved now... It wasn't natural. He seemed to writhe and distort out of place, like someone was bloodbending him. He danced around her, using combat moves she had never ever seen before. They looked ancient. And undoubtedly deadly.

"You fight like you've done it before," he smirked, ducking underneath her electrified jab. "And you probably have," he continued, leaning back to avoid her high kick. "But nothing in your arsenal can harm me." And with that he grabbed her leg and countered her next attack.

Whatever was possessing Mako must have lent him strength. Because with a simple tug of his arm she found her whole body flung forward and over his head, slamming head first into the ground. With minimal effort he picked her up by her leg and swung her round, using her own body as a human shield for the rocks Bolin was hurling at him.

Asami groaned as she tossed through the air towards the earthbender. Bolin had realised too late what their enemy had been up to. The boulders slammed into her abdomen and she couldn't hold back the scream. She felt the crack of her figure. A few ribs were broken, at least certainly cracked. She tried to rise but then slumped to the ground, her chest heaving. She couldn't keep fighting at the same intensity. She let herself fall to the grass, praying that Bolin and Korra could stop the menace.

Bolin rose from underneath Asami and set her down gently. He had never raised a hand to strike Mako. Never. Not even when he believed Mako stole Korra from him or when they had disagreed over Kuvira. The concept seemed alien. He'd been hoping to knock him out, but evidently a few rocks wouldn't be enough. Time to break out the big guns.

"Korra!" he yelled, his shout carrying across the short distance as he assumed his stance. "Get out of there!"

The Avatar chanced a look back as she heeded her friends advice, somersaulting away from Mako's fiery wrath as the ground around him bubbled. The earth beneath his feet began to shake as lava seeped from the skin of the planet, surrounding the demon in trench of molten rock, effectively trapping him.

But Shin La was not angry at this. If anything he applauded it. "Not bad," he appraised, his deep voice blurred through Mako's usual tone. "Lavebending, bloodbending, you've learned a lot in my time away. But some things don't change."

And then lightning erupted from his brother's fingertips. But not the usual electricity, no. Whereas Mako's normal blasts were white, the demon's colour was a rich, deep black, echoing the same dark shade as his veins and eyes. And it rocketed straight through Bolin's trap and headed right for him.

He barely threw up a barrier in time. His defence bore the brunt of the impact, but he could do nothing to prevent the ensuing explosion sending him crashing into a tree. He tumbled to the ground as the embers continued to burn around him. He tried to move but found his legs unwilling, pinned beneath the fallen oak. All he could do was hope that Korra could defeat this monster disguised beneath Mako's visage and fight the dull feeling of impending unconsciousness.

Korra had no hesitation, leaping towards the villain as soon as he fired at Bolin. But to her surprise instead of rushing to meet her Mako fell to the land.

The lightning must have weakened him, she thought. And then a raspy voice spoke.

"Korra..." Mako mumbled desperately, his face stuck in the dirt. "Look out he's..."

And then, in that one second where she let her guard down, she felt the ethereal presence behind her.

She immediately swung her leg up and fired at him without even needing to look, but instead of coiling back he surged forward, absorbing the hit. He took hold of her leg and kicked her to the ground.

He was on her in an instant, black tendrils emerging from his back like an overgrown spider. "Now, _this_," he cackled, his growl taking on a monstrous hint. "This is going to be fun!"

Korra didn't hold back, as she roared as loud as she could, sending a torrent of fire from her mouth like a dragon, straight through the spirits face. But to her surprise, he bore the brunt of the storm, and leaped down her throat.

Immediately she was wracked with pain. Her arms twisted, fingers contorted, scratching at the ground, at _anything _as she felt the phantom crawling around in her insides. She rose in the air quickly and then slammed back down, as her body crumpled. Everything hurt. Her stomach felt like it had been strangled. She tried to breath and she choked. Her throat tightened and her lungs wilted. Her head seemed like it was on fire as she clawed at her face, her nails seeping into her cheeks and drawing blood.

Asami, Bolin and Mako watched as the Avatar fought a torturous battle within her very soul.

She'd never even comprehended how something could be this painful. It felt like her very blood was rebelling, her heart fit to explode. She rolled over onto her stomach, her vision a dotted haze. Spots of red stopped her from discerning the figures that were undoubtedly her friends. Her neck started to rotate in a way that should have severed the link to her spine.

"_I'll say this much_," she heard, like he was actually inside her ear. "_You fought better than Zaheer."_

The words echoed in her mind as her synapses started to snap. And then, as her eyelids screwed shut and she felt herself falling into the void, instinct finally kicked in.

"_Get. Out." _The voice of the Avatar boomed as she rose into the air, a tornado surrounding her as her eyes glowed white. "Get. OUT!"

And then, impossible, as it seemed, she started to vibrate. Her pores opened and a thick black fog enveloped her like a second skin being pushed out as Shin La fought the sheer power of the Avatar State.

Korra flung her arms and then reached right into her chest and pulled the ghost out as he clawed at her, his fingers like hooks digging into her skin as he tried to resist.

But he couldn't. And for the first time since he returned he couldn't squirm out of her grasp. She physically held him in place as Korra stared right through him with her white eyes as they hummed with power.

She swung him around like a rag doll before throwing him through the air. He crashed into the remains of her statue, the stone actually cutting into him and making him wince. He was a demon. It didn't make sense. Demons couldn't _bleed._

"Now, that," he snarled. "That actually hurt!"

Korra simply stared at him and Shin La needed no invitation. For the first time in the battle he moved with a real sense of urgency, floating towards Bolin's vulnerable form. The earthbender, as weakened as he was, put up no resistance, and with his enhanced strength he kicked the tree off of him and faced his opponents.

Asami was back on her feet. So was Mako. And while Korra had come down from her Avatar state induced high, she still looked downright murderous. So Shin La did the smart thing.

He turned and ran.

* * *

><p>It was funny, but the only thing Korra could think of was that Bolin had gotten substantially quicker in the three years she'd been away. He weaved in and out of alleyways, vaulted across busy streets filled with traffic. With Asami's injury and Mako's sluggishness they were barely able to keep up with him.<p>

She had wondered why she came out of the Avatar State so quickly. It felt... different that time. Like Shin La had done something to her. She resoleved to find out what when they caught him.

But Bolin knew these streets inside and out. He'd grown up in them. Add to that knowledge that Shin La was undoubtedly boosting his abilities and it was no surprise they were having trouble tagging him.

Their chase led them to a warehouse. With an annoyed growl, Shin La earthbended the locked doors open, before glaring back at the trio, almost daring them to follow.

They obliged. They had no choice.

"Are you okay, Asami?" Korra asked as the woman in question gasped. They entered the building before she could respond, the doors swishing behind them. "You took a nasty knock. To be honest I'm surprised you're still standing, let alone racing after us."

"I'm fine," she replied. Korra frowned. She didn't look fine. While there was no blood, Korra could only imagine the bruising she must have sustained. Running at breakneck speed through a busy street would only aggravate the injury. "I'd ask you the same thing. For a moment there, I thought... you looked like something out of a horror mover, Korra. How can you just shrug that off?"

They studied the inside of the warehouse as Korra replied, the corridors and the darkness giving the impression of a maze rather than a storage centre. "I wasn't possessed," she answered simply, shaking her head at the memory of the feeling. "It felt awful, horrible, like I was falling apart at the seams but... I wasn't taken. Mako, whatever it felt like to you, I'm so sorry."

Asami studied Mako. He looked back to his old self, the sinister glint in his eye gone. But although he put up a concentrated front, his eyes betrayed him. He was shaken up, badly. Whatever the demon had done to him, to Korra and Bolin, had clearly terrified him. Asami silently prayed that she wouldn't have to go through that experience.

"It's okay Korra," Mako breathed, struggling to regain his shattered composure. "Just... We have to find Bolin. That's all that matters. Every minute he spends with that monster..."

He didn't have to finish the sentence. Whatever Korra and Mako had felt, Bolin was feeling right now. There would be time later to reflect. Right now they had to act.

"You hurt my shallow feelings Mako," the black voice boomed, the interior of the warehouse stifled by the sound. "And I thought we got to know each other so well."

Both Asami and Korra waited for Mako to retort. But to their surprise there was none. The firebender alongside them looked like he wanted to bolt. Only the fate of his brother kept him from turning tail.

Instead, Mako took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself. "What's the plan, Korra?" he said, choosing to ignore the spirit and instead focus on saving his brother.

Korra studied the building before her. This was a storage facility, made for keeping heavy machinery. Several different linear aisles lay ahead of her, each one intersecting with the other. With the accompanying darkness and the fact that the metal shelves were filled with all kinds of heavy machinery, it was a perfect place for an ambush.

"Stick together and find Bolin," Korra ordered. "And if you see him, get behind me. He can't possess me, and he knows that. But he can take control of you. No splitting up if we can help it. He'll just pick us off one by one."

With that, the trio advanced down the centre of the building, the floorboards beneath them creaking under their weight as they slowly passed. All that could be heard were their near silent breaths and the odd rustle as the possessed Bolin made his way around them. Try as they might, they couldn't pinpoint the location of the sound. It was like he was everywhere at once.

Suddenly, they heard footsteps to the left. A figure ran down the corridor, cloaked in darkness. They were about to give chase when they heard a loud banging behind them, only to be met with eerie silence when they turned around. The darkness felt physical around them, as if when they stared into it, something was staring back. And then, it spoke.

"Poor, poor Bolin," the voice mocked. "Lost, all alone in the dark. But you'd know all about that, wouldn't you Mako?"

"Leave him alone!" Korra defended him. "You talk a big game, but you're the one hiding."

"Am I?" it asked, and then a figure wrapped in shadow stepped out, like the thread of his clothes and the skin of his flesh was knitted out from the void. "Mako wanted to find me. He should have been more careful with what he wished for."

Immediately the group whirled around to the grating whisper behind them. And there the demon stood, in all his phantom glory.

A ceremonial cloak with strange symbols covered him, his hood drawn back to reveal a pale whit face with dark brown hair. He was not what Korra had expected. She thought he would have been a ghost, a demon too horrible to describe. But this looked like a man. A man who wouldn't look out of place having a day out with the kids or buying food for the family. And then he spoke, and suddenly she remembered what he was.

"Who is Shin La?" he laughed, echoing the detective. "You insisted, my boy. I told you I would find you, didn't I? I warned you to run. But alas, the young never realise until it's too late."

"What have you done with Bolin?" Mako snarled, his fury overtaking his fear. As one, the group took an aggressive stance towards the phantom.

"You know what I've done," he said with depraved glee. "I've twisted his mind, flushed his secrets inside out. Just as I did to you, my boy. And just as I will do it to anyone else foolish enough to gallivant with our dashing heroine here."

"Why are you doing this?" Korra asked carefully, slowly advancing down the aisle. "What have we done to deserve this?"

It seemed like he moved in a whisper. A second later and he blurred into existence behind them, floating on top the corridor. "If only you knew," he said, with an inch of pity to his voice. "Enough talk. You came here for your friend!" he shouted with a flourish. "You're going to have to play my game if you want to save him."

And with that, he disappeared in a cloud of smoke, but not without causing the shelves from the compartments around them to fall. It came down with a crash, forcing the trio to jump in different directions to avoid it.

Asami looked around, a creeping suspicion settling itself into her gut. Shin La's plan was evident.

They were trapped in the maze of the warehouse, separated and alone.

She could vaguely hear Korra's concerned shout, but it was muffled by the swirling darkness that surrounded her. The lights stayed out. The black of the night seemed that much stronger when she knew what lurked within it.

"I'm not afraid of you," she yelled defiantly. "I'm not afraid."

"Little girl, don't lie to me," Shin La cackled around her. There was no form, no figure. Just an insidious voice creeping into her skull. "Your fear, your grief is delicious."

"Leave her alone!" she heard Mako shout. He must have been somewhere to her right. She honestly couldn't tell.

"Oh, Mako. I had so much hope for you. Now you are but just another lamb on their way to the slaughter."

"Come out and face me!" she heard, Korra's voice this time.

"And what?" Shin La asked, his tone carrying all around them. "You'll defeat me in righteous combat? You know nothing about your enemy. You stumble in the dark, flustering and panicking when there's no solution that involves hitting it, while I know all. You are safe from me, Avatar. For the moment. But they are not."

Asami slipped out of the aisle, shrouded in shadow. Shin La's presence could be felt, no matter how intangible he may have seemed. He was all encompassing, surrounding them all in his shade. It made her skin crawl.

"You've got the old man in you, Asami," the voice whispered, and even without a face Asami could imagine the sly smile he had in the night. "That selfishness, that greed. You care deeply for the Avatar now, but you didn't when you made a move on Mako, did you? And she was feared dead and all! Scandalous."

"Shut up," Asami seethed. "My father redeemed himself. My father-"

"Is dead. And so is your mother. And they both deserved to die. All those years of sheltered life, dressing up in frilly clothes while the poor orphans in the streets starved. An apt punishment for their sins."

Off to the right, she heard a crash. It made her jump. But then all was still and silent, and she continued down the shady path.

"My father let his grief overwhelm him," Asami shook her head. "I will not share the same fate."

"You will, Ms. Sato," Shin La laughed. "You will soon see how familiar you both are before the end."

Another crash, and this time she could see light ahead.

Two figures could be seen in the short distance, one slumped on the ground beside the other. Short, sharp cries could be heard. She ran towards the telltale bodies of Mako and Bolin.

The earthbender's eyes were closed, and even unconscious he looked drained. Mako had nestled his head into the nook of his shoulder. His eyes lit up as he saw Asami approach.

"Oh, spirits!" he gasped, thankful for her arrival. "Please, help me!"

In the days to come Asami would see her next action as a foolish one. Chalk it down to short sighted hope or a weak heart. Whatever the case she rushed to aid them.

And as she knelt down, Mako slammed his elbow right into Asami's bruised ribs.

Even as she fell, Asami had the state of mind to roll away from her attacker. She wheezed with the strain, struggling to fight as the firebender picked her up effortlessly off the ground, before slamming her into the shelf beside them, two hands at her throat.

"Such a pretty face," Shin La mused, the white smile a paradox to the black eyes staring her down. "I can see why you garner all this attention."

Asami tried to cry out for Korra, but the pressure on her neck kept her from making a sound. In one last desperate attempt she brought her electronic glove to bear at Mako's side.

He nonchalantly caught her wrist and twisted it, possibly breaking it. Asami stared at him helplessly. She was injured, outmatched and out of moves. And then all she saw was a dark spirit plunging down her throat.

And then, she saw nothing.

* * *

><p>Korra had heard the commotion. She leaped over the shelves and blasted her way through the compartment. She heard sobbing, deep, raw crying from the depths of one's soul. She had a heard a struggle. She prayed it wasn't too late.<p>

She rounded the corner to see Asami, her form knelt over and her head over her eyes, the source of the tears revealed. The Avatar rushed to her side.

"I failed," Asami sobbed as Korra put her hand on her shoulder. "I failed. He took Bolin, he took Mako and... And I couldn't stop him!"

"It's not your fault," She soothed her friend. "We'll get them back."

"Yes," Asami sniffled, as she laid her hand on Korra's. "We'll see them soon."

And then a thousand volts erupted from the gauntlet, stunning the Avatar who never saw the attack coming. Shin La leapt onto the advantage, pressing it into her skull, frying her consciousness.

Korra fought the twitching feeling, like her mind was being cooked. She'd already stopped one invasion into her mind tonight. She... she couldn't! She... she... she could... she couldn't...

And after the shock had ran through her system, and her brain gave up on consciousness, the young Avatar slumped to the ground. And Shin La stood triumphant, the dark smile right at home in the twilight.

A thought suddenly struck him, and his phantom mind worked through the idea, turning it over and over in his head. And he laughed. The Avatar thought she knew torment. She was wrong. He would show her what it was like to suffer.

Shin La grabbed Korra's body and began to carry it to where Bolin and Mako's sleep filled forms still laid. He couldn't wait for her to wake up.

* * *

><p>The ground was hard, Korra realised. The headache dulled and throbbed in her head. She tried to move but found she couldn't, something restricting her arms and legs. She shook off the residual effects of her slumber and looked up.<p>

What greeted her chilled her to the bone.

Both Mako and Asami were knelt before her, similarly tied up as she was. A gag had been shoved in their mouths, prohibiting their speech. They didn't need to talk however. No matter how much they tried to hide it, their eyes betrayed them. Their fear was clear to see. A familiar figure stood behind them, raising his head as she woke.

"Rise and shine," Bolin greeted her, but the eyes of the monster were clear to see within the earthbenders eye sockets. "I hope you didn't get too comfy. After all, you have a choice to make."

"A... a choice?" Korra asked, her vocals chords needing time to adjust. "What choice?"

"What choice?" Shin La said incredulously, before he pulled a knife from behind his back. "_The_ choice, my dear. The one both people have been waiting for," he continued, gesturing to Asami and Mako. "Quite simple really. You can only let one into your heart. You can't have both."

"What are you talking about?" Korra said desperately, as the terrible truth began to dawn on her. "You can't be-"

"Oh, rest assured I am," Shin La replied, twirling the knife in his fingers, the blade cutting the air way too close to Asami's face. "You are going to tell me who you love, Korra. Not a decision to be taken lightly, darling. Because the unlucky one, the one you reject, well..." he said, before he pressed it to Mako's throat. "Well, you won't have to worry about them anymore."

And as the knife slipped perilously close to the firebender's neck, Korra knew she had to make a choice, a decision that she could not possibly make. A decision that no one would be satisfied with.

"By all means, take your time," Shin La smiled. "I can't wait to find out."

* * *

><p><strong>Oh, look. A cliffhanger.<strong>

**Thank you again to everyone who has reviewed and followed and done all that stuff. You guys are awesome. Keep it up :)**

**Sorry about the wait. I am trying to get these done quicker. But I digress. Hope you enjoyed it.**


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